Georgia

Culture Name

Georgian

Orientation

Identification.
The term "Georgian" does not derive from Saint George but
from the ancient Persian
Gurg
or
Gorg,
meaning wolf, "supposedly a totemic symbol, or from the Greek
georgios
("farmer," "cultivator of land").

Self-identification is based mainly on linguistic tradition, and
population groups that belong to different ethno-linguistic groups, such
as Ossetians, Abkhazians, Armenians, Greeks, and Kurds, are not considered
Georgian. There are some exceptions, such as Jews, who speak Georgian as a
native language and have surnames with Georgian endings, but historically
have had a distinct cultural identity. Georgians are subdivided into
smaller regional ethno-cultural entities. All that have specific
traditions and customs, folklore, cuisine, and dress and may speak a
different language. Ajarans, unlike the Eastern Orthodox majority, are
mostly Sunni Muslims. All these groups preserve and share a common
identity, literary language, and basic system of values.

Location and Geography.
Georgia is on the southern slopes of the Caucasus mountains, forming a
natural border with the north Caucasian republics of the Russian
Federation. The country, occupying approximately 27,000 square miles
(69,900 square kilometers), stretches along the Greater Caucasus ridge,
bordered by the Black Sea to the west, the Armenian and Turkish highlands
to the South, and Azerbaijan to the east. The topography is varied. The
northern region is characterized by high mountains, and the central and
southern parts, while mountainous, are much lower and are covered with
alpine fields and forests. In the east, the rivers all join the Mtkvari
(Kura), forming the Caspian basin, while in the west, the rivers, of which
the Rioni and Enguri are the largest, run into the Black Sea.

The climate is temperate and is more mild and humid along the western
marine coast. Mountains create temperature zones that vary with elevation.
The eastern plains and highlands, which are isolated from the sea, have a
continental climate, while year-round snow and glaciers are found in the
highest mountains. Climatic zones range from moderately humid
Mediterranean, to dry-continental Arab-Caspian, and to cooler mountainous
regions. Almost half the land is in agricultural use, with much of the
remainder consisting of forests and high mountains. Land use varies with
local climatic and soil patterns.

Tbilisi, the capital, was founded by King Vakhtang Gorgasali in the fifth
century, and continues to be the most important political and cultural
center of the country. Tbilisi is located in the culturally dominant
eastern region, Kartli, on the banks of the Mtkvari (Kura), on the ancient
crossroads of one of the great silk roads between Europe and Asia.

Demography.
In the 1990s, the population was estimated to be from five to five and a
half million, but reliable figures are not available because of extensive
uncounted emigration. Just over half the population lives in urban areas,
including 1.6 million in Tbilisi. Ethnic Georgians form the great majority
of the population in most regions, though there are settlements of
Armenians and Azeris in the south and the south-east, respectively;
Ossetians in the north-central area; Abkhaz and Armenians in the
northwest; Greeks in the southeast; and small numbers of Batsbi, Chechens,
Ingushes, and Lezghs in the northeast. Russians and smaller ethnic
minorities such as Kurds, Ukrainians, Jews, and Assyrians are concentrated
mostly in urban areas. In the 1989 census, ethnic Georgians accounted for
seventy percent of the population; Armenians 8 percent; Russians 6
percent, Azeris 6 percent, Ossetians 3 percent, and Abkhazians, under 2
percent.

Georgia

This proportion has changed as a result of emigration among ethnic
minorities, especially Russians, Jews, Greeks, and Armenians. Most ethnic
Georgians were distributed throughout the country, while Abkhazians moved
mostly to Russian cities and Ossetians took refuge in Northern Ossetia.

Linguistic Affiliation.
The majority language is Georgian, which belongs to the Kartvelian (South
Caucasian) language group. However, some subgroups speak other languages
in the same linguistic group. The literary language comes from the
Kartlian dialect spoken in the historically dominant eastern kingdom of
Kartli. Georgian is the only Kartvelian language that is written and
taught, and is the literary language used by all Georgians.

The principal minority languages are Abkhazian, Armenian, Azeri, Ossetian,
and Russian. Abkhazian is, along with Georgian, the state language in
Abkhazia. Most ethnic minorities in urban areas speak Russian rather than
Georgian as a second language, but bilingualism and trilingualism are
common, and Russian continues to be understood in most of the country.
Russian, Armenian, and Azeri are used in schools and as official languages
locally.

Symbolism.
The competing impact of Asian and western cultures is most prominently
expressed in Byzantine and Persian influences. Another overlap is between
Christian and pagan, with a much weaker influence from neighboring Muslim
patterns. Today, much cultural symbolism reflects a mythologized
interpretation of tradition that is influenced by self-perception as
belonging to European, Christian contemporary society.

Mythical symbols include the Golden Fleece of the Greek myth of the
Argonauts' journey to Colchis and the mythical ancestor of
Georgians, Kartlos. Other important mythical figures include Saint George,
and Amirani, a noble hero analogous to Prometheus. Mythical symbols of the
Abkhazians and Ossetians are both dominated by a
mythical cycle dealing with the semidivine people of Narts.

The numbers seven and nine have symbolic meaning, as does the number
three, which reflects the Trinity. The snow leopard and lion symbolize
noble valor and vigor. The vine symbolizes fertility and the Dionysian
spirit, and dominates medieval architectural ornamentation. A very
important ornamental symbol is the fire-wheel swastika, a solar symbol
traditionally used both as an architectural ornament and in wood carving
as well as on the passport and currency. The Cross plays an equally
significant role.

The hymn "Thou Art the True Vine" is the most important
sacred song. National symbols often refer to language, motherland
(national territory), and Confession (Christian Orthodoxy). The ideas of
loyalty to kin, honor, and hospitality are held in high esteem. The
characteristic metaphor is that of a mother. Other metaphors are linked to
the sun, which is interpreted as a source of beauty and light,
brotherhood, supreme loyalty, and victory.

State symbolism dates back to the Democratic Republic of Georgia
(1918–1921). The most respected national festival (26 May) is
linked to the declaration of independence in 1918. The national flag of
black and white stripes against a dark crimson background and the state
emblem, White George on horseback framed by a septagonal star, repeat the
imagery of that period.

History and Ethnic Relations

Emergence of the Nation.
Cultural unity was influenced by political unification and fragmentation.
In the southern and eastern regions, the state of Kartli (Iberia) united
tribes that spoke the Kartvelian language. The first attempt to unite the
country occurred under King Parnavaz of Kartli at the beginning of the
third century
B.C.E.
Georgia adopted Christianity in 334, when King Mirian III of
Kartli-Iberia, following the instructions of Saint Nino of Cappadocia,
declared it the state religion. The alphabet probably was created soon
afterward to translate holy texts, replacing Aramaic and Greek scripts and
producing both the hieratic script and the contemporary secular alphabet.
The first Georgian inscriptions appeared in Jerusalem in the fifth
century, followed by the first known literary text, the
Martyrdom of Saint Shushanik.
At about that time, King Vakhtang briefly united eastern and western
Georgia. Several centuries later, the new dynasty of the Bagrations took
control of the Inner Kartli and the city of Uplistsikhe, and in 978, King
Bagrat III

Women hoeing fields near Gori. There is no explicit division of
labor by gender in Georgia, except for hard physical labor, such as
mining.

Bagration became the first king of both Kartli and Abkhazia. In 1314,
Giorgi V the Brilliant reunited Georgia after a long period of decline
under the Mongols, but Tamerlain's invasions broke the
nation's strength and unity. With the fall of Constantinople in
1453, Georgia became the only Christian stronghold in a region of Muslim
kingdoms. In the beginning of the nineteenth century, Georgia was united
by the Russian Empire, when the tsars Pavel and Alexander annexed the
eastern region, abolishing the kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti.

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Georgia declared independence in
1918, but the democratic Republic of Georgia, ruled by a social-democratic
government, was invaded by the Red Army in 1921, a few days after it was
recognized by European states. The Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia
retained formal sovereignty but was a puppet member of the Soviet Empire
until its dissolution in 1991, when Zviad Gamsakhurduia proclaimed
independence. By the end of that same year, Gamsakhurdia fell victim to a
military coup. The military government, unable to cope with international
isolation and an economic crisis, invited the former Soviet foreign
minister Eduard Shevardnadze to become the chairman of the State Council,
keeping real power in its own hands. After two years of civil war and
secessionist conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Shevardnadze took
over the government. A new parliament was elected in 1995, a new
constitution was adopted, and Shevardnadze was elected president. The
self-proclaimed republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia continue to be
source of conflict, but negotiations on their status is ongoing and
virtually no military action has taken place since 1993.

National Identity.
The development of the nation is linked to the attempt to unite Georgia
by King Parnavaz. However, at that time different parts of the country
spoke different languages and had little in common. Western Georgia was
inhabited by Colchian, proto-Abkhazian and proto-Svan tribes, with Greek
settlements along the Black Sea shore, while in the eastern and southern
regions the language was closer to contemporary Georgian, although part of
the territory was inhabited by Turkic, Armenian, Alan, and Albanian
tribes. Migration of eastern Georgian tribes to the west and the gradual
assimilation of other ethnic groups in the east were accompanied by
religious unity and unification under the Bagratid dynasty at the end of
tenth century. During several centuries of common statehood, the Abkhaz,
Armenians, Turks, and Ossetians partly preserved their cultural
identities, while Albanians were fully assimilated.

Ethnic Relations.
Sub-groups with common cultural identities experienced little conflict,
although the medieval feudal system often caused internecine wars and
warfare among ethnic kin. Today, despite mass migrations of Svans to
southeastern Georgia and Megrel refugees from secessionist Abkhazia to
other parts of the country, tensions have calmed. However, among the
Abkhaz and Ossetians, tension and radical nationalism after the
disintegration of the Soviet Union led to civil wars. There are some
tensions with Armenians and between Azeris and Armenians in the rural
southeast.

There are significant numbers of predominantly Muslim ethnic Georgians in
Iran and Turkey. 100,000 Georgians have preserved their cultural identity
in the small Fereydan region near Isfahan. Turkey controls a large
territory with a traditionally Georgian population and numerous cultural
monuments. These groups of Gürji, as they are called in Turkey, and
Laz acknowledge their Georgian origin but have a strong sense of Turkish
national identity.

Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space

Settlements tend to be dominated by a church built on a hill nearby if not
in the center. However, in the Soviet period, many churches were destroyed
or turned into storehouses. Newly built churches are mostly poor replicas
of older examples, primitive expressions of a declining tradition. Little
is left of the medieval structure of small urban settlements surrounded by
a citadel wall.

Urban architecture bears strong traces of Soviet influence. Government
buildings and sculptures from the Soviet era are gloomy and pompous. These
buildings have flat surfaces and enormous waste spaces in the form of
colonnades or halls. In the 1970s and 1980s a new tradition emerged with
more light and better use of space but was depersonalized and lacked
creativity. Since independence, economic crises have precluded the
construction of new government buildings. The older quarters in some
cities are elegant and demonstrate an attractive mixture of European and
Asian architecture. The majority of smaller towns are overgrown villages
that show little effort to organize space or create an urban environment.

Rural architecture is typified by two-story stone buildings with large
verandas. In the mountains, villages often are dominated by picturesque
towers. Stone houses may surround a family tower or be organized in
terraces with small gardens or yards. Traditional dwellings in the
southern volcanic highlands were set deep in the ground and had no
windows, with polygonal narrowing ceilings with a central opening for
light and the exit of smoke. Internal space was organized around the
fireplace below the roof opening, and a richly engraved central column
played both a functional and a sacral role.

Food and Economy

Food in Daily Life.
The greatest culinary divide is between the western and eastern region.
In the west, there is a greater emphasis on vegetarian food, predominantly
prepared with walnuts. Herbs and spices, especially tarragon, basil,
coriander, feuille Grec, and pepper make western Georgian food hot and
spicy. Cheese usually is made from cow's milk and is eaten with
either corn bread or a corn and flour porridge.
Khachapuri,
a kind of cheese pizza, is common.

In the eastern area, the food is heavier, with more of an accent on mutton
and pork. Wheat bread is preferred to corn, and sheep's cheese from

The municipal buildings in Gori. Local governments have small
budgets and limited power but may be fairly independent in their
policies.

Tusheti is popular. Among people in the mountains, the most popular food
is
khinkali,
a cooked meat dumpling that usually is accompanied by beer. The most
popular vegetables are tomatoes, potatoes, radishes, pumpkins, eggplant,
beans, cucumbers, and cabbage. The most popular sauce,
tkemali,
is made of wild plums; other sauces are based on walnuts with spices, or
pomegranate juice. Wine is drunk everywhere, and stronger alcoholic
beverages include
araki,
which is made of grapes and other fruit with honey. Fish, especially
trout, is eaten universally. A wide variety of locally grown fruit is
supplemented by wild and cultured berries, watermelons and other melons.
Dried fruit and nuts covered with a mixture of grape juice and wheat or
corn flour are eaten in the winter. Jams are prepared from fruit, unripe
walnuts, watermelon, eggplant, and green tomatoes.

Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions.
At the New Year's festivity, ground walnuts boiled in honey are
served, along with a turkey or chicken in walnut sauce. An Easter meal
includes hard-boiled eggs dyed red and other bright colors, roasted piglet
and lamb, and special cakes with vanilla and spices. Special dishes are
served at a wake: rice with mutton in the east, and meat with sweet rice
and raisins in the west. Special wheat porridge with walnuts and honey is
served forty days after a person's death.

Basic Economy.
Georgians were basically rural people until the beginning of this
century, when industrialization caused a mass rural-to-urban migration,
especially to the capital. Most families are still linked through kinship
relations with the countryside and preserve some traditions of their
native localities.

Industrialization and the urban economy have had a limited influence on
the national culture. Today, most of the population is urbanized and works
in services or industrial production. Industry has been slow in recovering
from the economic crisis of the early 1990s. Agriculture has been quicker
to recover and accounts for almost 30 percent of the gross domestic
product. A significant portion of exports consists of processed or raw
agricultural produce such as hazelnuts, tea and wine. However, the country
is not self-sufficient in producing grain as a result of the limited
arable land.

Land Tenure and Property.
After independence, much of land owned by the state was privatized. Over
half the cultivated land was privatized by 1994, and that proportion
continues to grow. However, in the highlands, where there is little
cultivated
land, privatization may entail restitution, as families respect
traditional ownership. The state continues to control almost all
uncultivated land, forests, and pastures; further privatization is
expected in these areas.

Commercial Activities.
Apart from agricultural goods, mineral water, soft drinks, and beverages,
few goods are produced locally for the retail market. Cheaper goods from
Turkey, Russia, China, and Bulgaria are sold in the shops. Some locally
produced building materials, chemicals, and textiles are sold.

Major Industries.
Major industries include metallurgy, metal and chemical works, mining
(manganese, arsenic, copper, gold, oil, and raw materials for chemical
production such as barite and mineral water), electronic devices, and
machinery. A larger role is being played by transportation and especially
transhipment because of the development of pipeline routes and
transportation projects.

Trade.
The principle exports are food, drink, tobacco, metals, and chemicals.
The major imports are energy and fuel, mineral products, machinery, and
food, drink and tobacco. There is a significant trade deficit. The main
trading partners are Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Bulgaria,
the European Union, and the United States.

Division of Labor.
High-paying jobs are available for those with a good command of English
and advanced computer skills, while older people remain in poorly paid
occupations. However, workers in their forties and fifties continue to
occupy leading positions in ownership and management, as result of their
advantage in starting capital and business connections from the Soviet
era.

Social Stratification

Classes and Castes.
The systems of social stratification changed significantly because of the
increasing income gap between the impoverished masses and former
white-collar workers, and the new rich, who have used financial and social
capital to accumulate capital through privatization or trade, or have
taken advantage of corruption in the state bureaucracy. Another change is
linked to the restructuring of the political and economic system from the
Soviet centralized type to a free market, although frequently the same
Soviet bureaucrats and Communist officials have become capitalists and
advocates of a liberal economy. Much of the new capital is concentrated in
Tbilisi, Batumi, and the Black Sea port of Poti and thus is dominated by
ethnic Georgians. The Armenian and Jewish economic elite that once played
an important role, especially in Tbilisi, has lost its position because of
emigration or because they maintain a lower profile.

Symbols of Social Stratification.
An advanced position is expressed by a Westernized lifestyle. A Mercedes
car symbolizes success, as do an apartment or house in a prestigious
district, summering in France, and sending one's children to
private European or American schools. Visiting casinos is another sign of
upward social mobility.

Political Life

Government.
Georgia is a presidential republic. The president is also the head of the
executive branch, although the ministers are formally headed by the state
minister. The single-chamber (225 members strong) parliament is elected in
a mixed majoritarian-proportional system. The last parliamentary elections
were won by the president's Citizens' Union of Georgia. The
other two parties in the parliament are the Union of Industrialists and
the Union of Georgia's Revival. The judicial branch, which was weak
in the communist era, is in the process of being reformed. Local
governments are partly elected and partly appointed from Tbilisi and have
little formal power and small budgets. Depending on personal authority and
local conditions, they may be fairly independent in their policies.

Leadership and Political Officials.
Political parties, apart from the Union of Georgia's Revival, have
little unity and lack well-defined political agendas. They mostly serve as
instruments for pursuing a political career. Most parties tend to be
social-democratic or moderately nationalistic. Personalities and personal
connections play a decisive role in a political career, and the need to
balance political issues and personal loyalty makes personnel appointments
far from meritocractic. Many politicians are involved in economic
activities, and this often creates conflicts of interest.

Social Problems and Control.
Since the increase in crime during the civil wars and turmoil of the
early 1990s, there has been a significant reduction in law violations and
major crimes such as murder and burglary. The most socially dangerous
crime is drug trafficking, which has increased the number of young drug
addicts. Organized crime is another important concern. Corruption and
incompetence in overstaffed law enforcement bodies along with a

The Georgian capital of Tbilisi, which was founded in the fifth
century by King Vakhtang Gorgasali.

weak judiciary system have made it difficult to fight crime. The general
public is dissatisfied with the existing situation and with the system of
law. Sometimes, especially in rural areas with a strong tradition of
customary law, the community itself or a victim's relatives will
take the law into their own hands and punish the perpetrator of a
particularly shocking crime.

Military Activity.
There has been little military action since the end of the civil war and
the suspension of the conflict in Abkhazia, but the development of the
nation's military potential attracts great attention from both the
public and the government. Georgia participates in NATO's
Partnership for Peace program and aspires to achieve closer cooperation,
and even integration, with NATO. There still are four Russian military
bases in the country, although their gradual withdrawal is under way.

Social Welfare and Change Programs

The state welfare system is inefficient, and has few resources. Pensions
provide only a fifth of the minimum sustenance level, are poorly targeted,
and cover too many beneficiaries. Much of the assistance goes to
internally displaced persons from Abkhazia. A number of international and
intergovernmental organizations are attempting to improve the welfare
system.

Nongovernmental Organizations and Other Associations

There are thousands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), but few of
them are active and successful. NGOs participate in defending human rights
and freedom of expression as well as environmental protection. However, as
virtually all NGOs are funded by western sources, they have to adapt to
the preferences and style of foreign funders, which often have only a
vague understanding of the real needs of the country.

Gender Roles and Statuses

Division of Labor by Gender.
There is no explicit division of labor by gender except in the areas of
hard physical labor such as mining. The national culture places women in
both the role of breadwinner and housewife. Most urban women work when
they have the opportunity, although few have positions in the military and
law enforcement. Top-level political and business jobs are less accessible
for
women, and only a few are in the government. No women can become a priest
in the Orthodox church or a mullah among Muslims.

The Relative Status of Women and Men.
The national culture strongly values respect for women. Legislation
provides for a woman's right to take the children after a divorce.
Women receive pregnancy leaves and earlier retirements and are not subject
to military conscription. Although men dominate both public and family
life, most housework is done by women. With many young educated women
getting better paid jobs than their fathers or husbands, traditional
stereotypes of gender-defined social roles are changing.

Marriage, Family, and Kinship

Marriage.
Marriage is based on the free will of the partners and rarely is
prearranged, although that sometimes happens in rural areas, especially in
the Muslim population. Mutual attraction is the most common reason for
marriage, although for older couples, economic benefits or comfort may be
more important. In Muslim areas, unofficial polygamy exists in rare cases.
There is a significant incidence of early marriage, but there is a general
tendency for later marriage. Married persons who maintain a joint
household have equal rights to their possessions.

Domestic Unit.
The basic household in cities is the nuclear family, but frequently,
grandparents live together with the family and help to bring up the
children. In rural and mountainous areas, a few extended families exist,
usually including several brothers with their parents and children. In
this case the father of the family may control the resources, and assign
tasks on the farm, while the mother is responsible for keeping the
household. Younger members gradually split off, building a separate house
in the neighborhood.

Inheritance.
If there is no will after a person's death, the property is
divided among all the children, including daughters, or among the closest
relatives if there are no children.

Kin Groups.
People ascribe great importance to kinship. Relatives up to the third or
even fourth generation are considered close, and are expected to share
both happy events and grievances. They meet regularly at important social
events such as weddings and funerals, and neglecting the social duty to
attend is disapproved. The kinship system played an important role in
cushioning the effects of economic crisis when the social welfare system
was disrupted. Extended kinship relations may create clientelism and
protectionism as well as organized crime.

Socialization

Infant Care.
Customary practices in the care of infants have been abandoned, such as
the practice of rearing young infants in a special type of cradle that
restricted the movement of a child. Children are the focal point of the
family, and much attention is paid to their education and development,
especially in the educated classes. Because kindergartens are less
available today, retired grandparents often care for the children.

Child Rearing and Education.
The early intellectual development of infants is valued, and parents love
to show their children's achievements. The values inculcated and
the skills taught differ by gender. Boys are taught to be strong and
courageous and deal with cars or tools. Girls are supposed to be modest
and skilled in housekeeping, sewing, and cooking; play with dolls rather
than war toys; and are more often taught to play musical instruments.
Although many parents believe in genetically transmitted qualities and
talents, education is valued.

Higher Education.
Higher education and a university diploma are highly valued even when the
quality of education is unsatisfactory. It is almost impossible to have a
career without a diploma, although higher education is not always
correlated with a higher income.

Etiquette

Both men and women may kiss one another on the cheek in public places.
Kissing on the lips and intimate hugging in public are not approved.
Shaking hands is common, but women shake hands less often than men do.
Either the person with higher social status or the woman is supposed to
initiate greeting and define its form. In the countryside, it is common to
greet strangers. Men may embrace while walking in the street. In general,
the closer the relationship, the smaller the distance at which people
stand. Women are not supposed to gaze at a stranger or smoke on the
street.

Religion

Religious Beliefs.
The great majority of the population belongs to the Georgian Orthodox
Church, an Eastern (Greek) Orthodox church. Confessional

An apple seller in Tbilisi. A wide variety of fruits are grown in
Georgia, although arable land is limited.

identity is a strong cultural factor that defines the prevailing system
of social values. The majority of Georgians in Ajara are Sunni Muslims, as
are a few inhabitants of the Meskheti region. There are also Shiite
Muslims among the Turkic inhabitants in the southeast (Azeris) and Sunni
Muslims among the Abkhaz, Ossetians, and Greeks. Several Protestant
churches are active, with the Baptists being the most successful. Most
ethnic Armenians belong to the Gregorian Christian Church. There are small
groups of Yezid Kurds, Russian Molokans and Dukhobors, and Jews; the
population of the latter two groups has diminished because of emigration.
New emerging cults and sects, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, meet
with hostility and aggression from the established churches and the
population.

Rituals and Holy Places.
The great majority of Orthodox religious ceremonies are carried out by
priests in churches. The most important ceremonies, especially those
celebrating Easter and Christmas, are carried out by the Patriarch in
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in the ancient town of Mtskheta, or in the Zion
Cathedral in Tbilisi. Daily

Most Georgians belong to the Georgian Orthodox Church. Daily
services are held, but many seldom attend.

services are held in churches, as well as weddings and baptisms. In some
cases priests are invited to other places to bless new initiatives,
buildings or organizations. Many people claim to be religious but seldom
attend religious ceremonies. In mountainous regions, people who
self-identify as Christian continue to follow rituals of pagan origin.

Death and the Afterlife.
Many of popular beliefs and rituals regarding death and afterlife stem
from a mixture of Christian and pagan concepts, with many superstitions
and cultural borrowings. Respecting the deceased is a very important part
of social life, and much time is spent attending funerals and wakes and
caring for graves. Although people believe in an eternal afterlife, there
is no clear understanding of its nature; people observe rules and try to
reduce their grief by ritualizing the mourning process.

Secular Celebrations

The most widely observed holiday still is the New Year. Among national
holidays, Independence Day is the most respected, and people like to
attend even newly invented festivities such as Tbilisoba in October, a
holiday invented by the Communist authorities.

The Arts and Humanities

Support for the Arts.
Although the state is supposed to support arts through the Ministry of
Culture, there are few funds that rarely find the proper application. Some
professional unions, once controlled by the government, continue to claim
state support despite contributing little to cultural life. Artists whose
work depends less on linguistic restrictions, such as painters and
craftsmen, look for financial support and markets abroad. Many writers and
artists work in politics or business or try to couple them with their art;
it is not uncommon for film makers and writers to have a position in the
parliament or other agencies of the government.

Literature.
Literature is in a dire condition because of the political and economic
crisis that started long before independence. There are only a few young
talented writers and poets and almost none from the older generation. The
literary market is dominated by translations of bestsellers, detective
stories, and erotica.

Graphic Arts.
Graphic arts are popular, and many young artists are demonstrating high
levels of creativity and skill. Many artists sell their work in the West.

Performance Arts.
The performance arts are in a crisis because limitations imposed by
language hinder the art from finding a wider audience. Several ballet
dancers, opera singers, and theater directors have achieved success in
other countries. However, in Tbilisi, performance art and dramatic art are
alive and rich.

The State of the Physical and Social Sciences

Physical and natural sciences, along with engineering, were highly
developed in the Soviet period because of their application to defense.
Today there is next to no funding in these areas, as most Western aid goes
to the social sciences. This has caused many scientists to emigrate, and
the brain drain has helped maintain relations with leading scientific
institutions. The social sciences were underdeveloped in the communist era
and have not reached international standards in teaching and research.

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——.
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Georgia in Antiquity: A History of Colchis and Transcaucasian Iberia,
1994, 1996.

Iam georgian and would like to reply to guy who is going to study in Georgia. yes it is very safe, moreover for foreigners. people are very welcoming and they highly appreciate people from other countries

I love Georgia without knowing it...I think that God rested in Georgia after the 7 days of creation..I am not from georgia but it happen to see it in some pictures on facebook
God bless Georgia and grant me the present to visit her one day...

Fascinated with the culture, esp the beautiful clothes. I wonder where i could buy those dress, for myself and my daughter. We live in Singapore and have nothing on Georgia over here :( And links or references will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Georgia has a wonderful history and a good socio-cultural heritge.but I would like to know about studying and working in Georgia as a post-graduate student from Nigeria.I equally want to the kind jobs available for post-graduate foreign students.thanks

I need to connect with some fishermen who can fish in the Black Sea. Is there a fishing community? Can you help me with some information as I am planning to start a new fishing company at Georgia? Thanks.

Im Ajay, from India planning to work in Georgia this coming October. Im from electronic background, do i get any related jobs?
And also do i get any paying guest accommodation over there?? what kind of jobs are available in Tbilisi??

Hi,
I'm hoping you can help me find my great grand-mother's family. She was born in Georgia in 1908 to family Archuadze Emeretin
her name was Elizabeth (called Lizzy) and sister Maryam & Nora. brothers, Makael & Leon. We have her city of birth as Tessfoon county of Zarshad.

Can you help me please? it's a promise that we made to her when she was still alive to find her surviving family members. She was 17 when married to a Persian rug dealer and moved to Iran.

Hello After reading about the Georgia am so excited to this country, specially Tbilisi as well as beach area, but am also interested to start business here so can any Georgian or any foreigner who already doing business there help me out and share some info about procedure and taxes.

i am from georgia and it is wonderful and amazing. Most beautiful place. My grandparents live there and i go every year to see them. One place you should visit the caucasus mountains by russia. BEAUTIFUL. full of horses and its just natural beauty

I am a single middle aged lady visiting the country of my Grandmother, for the month of October, 2015. Can anyone tell me how safe it would be to walk around late in the evenings? It's such a beautiful City and I want to see all that I can. Also I read that women were not supposed to make eye contact with strangers. Could this possible be true? I find this odd as I look at people all the time. What would the best way be to travel to Gori from Tbilisi? Train, bus or taxi? Thanks for all your advise.

Hi Tamara,
I am a Georgian descent, living in Turkey for sometime.
Assuming you will be in cities, and busy/crowd neighbourhoods-streets, it is very safe to walk around, visit shops, museums etc. (Keeping in mind it may not be "very" safe to walk around late in nights, for man/woman, even in the countries like USA etc.) Every one should have some hearing reflexes in any trip-travel.

Also, there is "look" and "look". You can have eye contact with people, especially for a woman it is not a big problem, but you can not stare at them for long seconds.
I am sure you will like your travel and have very good memories there.
Enjoy Georgia please!

wow, this website is SO insightful! i was wondering about the poverty levels, school ratings, and small town businesses. my co-workers and i were assigned a project to do and mine involves me going to Georgia, what should i expect, and what is the crime rate?